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Following a bicycle frame building course

Following a bicycle frame building course

Peter Bird working his magic in the Bicycles by Design workshop in Shropshire, UK

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett was introduced to the Calfee Sizer, a bike fully adjustable to the exact millimetre and angle. It's used to replicate the optimum frame geometry for each individual

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett's figures from the Calfee Sizer can now be put forward for use with the BikeCAD software

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

BikeCAD software is then used to simulate the frame and calculate exact dimensions. It can even be used to highlight potential overlap and clearance issues

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The numerous cuts involved for the tubing is a laborious task

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Once all cuts are correct, the lugs have to be offered up to the tubes – some are a very tight fit!

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Miter cuts require a patient approach and demand absolute accuracy

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Head tube lugs have to be positioned exactly and require some gentle persuasion

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

All measurements are then dialled into the frame building jig

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The jig provides all the accuracy and stability necessary for the build

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Slowly but surely the frame starts to come together within the jig

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Bottom bracket, seat tube and chainstays all in place within the jig

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Plenty of flux is applied before assembly. Flux is required to prevent oxides from forming while the metal is heated. It also cleans the area and works as a valuable indicator while brazing is going on

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Plenty of flux is applied as Peter opts to use traditional brazing rods instead of modern flux impregnated ones

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Things are starting to take shape nicely

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The frame has to be removed from the jig several times during more stubborn parts of the assembly

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Stubborn parts are persuaded with our favourite tool

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Final preperations have to be made before the brazing process can begin. It's time for more flux!

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

With the torch fired up, heat is then applied to the relevant areas of metal

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

With all metal up to the correct temperature it's time to feed in some brass

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The lugs are outsourced and as a result require a slight bit of adjustment once malleability is increased with heat

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The brass is then pulled along using the heat of the torch

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

That's one lug complete

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The jig allows for rotation, something completely necessary when you need to feed brass into such tight and awkward areas

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Work now starts on the chainstays. The torch is applied to once gain acheive the correct temperature

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett soon gains confidence with his brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Every bit of brazing has to be signed off by Peter himself, a man with more than 30 years of experience in handbuilding bikes

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Next it's on to the head tube

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Peter once again makes sure that the lugs fit flush with the tubing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Head tube brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The jig has to rotate again in order for the underside of the head tube to be brazed

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Brazing the underside of the head tube area

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Then it's back the right way round to finish off the brazing required for the head and down tube lugs

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The head tube area after cooling

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The bottom bracket area post brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Next, the lug at the top of the seat tube gets the same treatment

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

This lug requires particularly close attention as a lot of brass needs to be fed internally due to the design

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Beautiful colours are revealed post cooling

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Things are really coming together now – the front triangle is completely brazed and now needs time to cool

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

All builders have different ways of ordering their work, and Pete’s preference is to complete the main triangle of his frames before completing the rear end

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Wonderful colours soon appear

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

After the cooling period the frame is subjected to sandblasting

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett works to remove the post-brazing hardened flux in the sandblaster, prior to filing the lugs

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett's frame uses this unusual lug to connect the seatstays to the seat tube. It means that two small inserts have to be made in order to make everything fit

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett brazes the insert into one of his seatstays

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

With the insert now brazed in, it's a case of making the perfect cut to ensure everything lines up

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett removes the bulk of the material that he needs using a bench grinder

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Then the angle is perfected using hand tools

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

After a bit of trial and error Blackett has the fit spot on

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

He then repeats this process for the opposing seatstay, ready for brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The back end is now completely assembled

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Unfortunately, we run out of workshop time at this point, but Blackett has still managed to go from tubes to a 95 percent complete frame in four working days. On day five he finished the forks and most of the cleaning up, leaving some final emery cloth finishing prior to painting the frame himself

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Peter Bird working his magic in the Bicycles by Design workshop in Shropshire, UK

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett was introduced to the Calfee Sizer, a bike fully adjustable to the exact millimetre and angle. It's used to replicate the optimum frame geometry for each individual

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett's figures from the Calfee Sizer can now be put forward for use with the BikeCAD software

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

BikeCAD software is then used to simulate the frame and calculate exact dimensions. It can even be used to highlight potential overlap and clearance issues

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The numerous cuts involved for the tubing is a laborious task

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Once all cuts are correct, the lugs have to be offered up to the tubes – some are a very tight fit!

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Miter cuts require a patient approach and demand absolute accuracy

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Head tube lugs have to be positioned exactly and require some gentle persuasion

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

All measurements are then dialled into the frame building jig

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The jig provides all the accuracy and stability necessary for the build

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Slowly but surely the frame starts to come together within the jig

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Bottom bracket, seat tube and chainstays all in place within the jig

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Plenty of flux is applied before assembly. Flux is required to prevent oxides from forming while the metal is heated. It also cleans the area and works as a valuable indicator while brazing is going on

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Plenty of flux is applied as Peter opts to use traditional brazing rods instead of modern flux impregnated ones

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Things are starting to take shape nicely

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The frame has to be removed from the jig several times during more stubborn parts of the assembly

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Stubborn parts are persuaded with our favourite tool

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Final preperations have to be made before the brazing process can begin. It's time for more flux!

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

With the torch fired up, heat is then applied to the relevant areas of metal

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

With all metal up to the correct temperature it's time to feed in some brass

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The lugs are outsourced and as a result require a slight bit of adjustment once malleability is increased with heat

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The brass is then pulled along using the heat of the torch

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

That's one lug complete

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The jig allows for rotation, something completely necessary when you need to feed brass into such tight and awkward areas

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Work now starts on the chainstays. The torch is applied to once gain acheive the correct temperature

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett soon gains confidence with his brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Every bit of brazing has to be signed off by Peter himself, a man with more than 30 years of experience in handbuilding bikes

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Next it's on to the head tube

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Peter once again makes sure that the lugs fit flush with the tubing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Head tube brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The jig has to rotate again in order for the underside of the head tube to be brazed

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Brazing the underside of the head tube area

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Then it's back the right way round to finish off the brazing required for the head and down tube lugs

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The head tube area after cooling

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The bottom bracket area post brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Next, the lug at the top of the seat tube gets the same treatment

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

This lug requires particularly close attention as a lot of brass needs to be fed internally due to the design

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Beautiful colours are revealed post cooling

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Things are really coming together now – the front triangle is completely brazed and now needs time to cool

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

All builders have different ways of ordering their work, and Pete’s preference is to complete the main triangle of his frames before completing the rear end

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Wonderful colours soon appear

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

After the cooling period the frame is subjected to sandblasting

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett works to remove the post-brazing hardened flux in the sandblaster, prior to filing the lugs

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett's frame uses this unusual lug to connect the seatstays to the seat tube. It means that two small inserts have to be made in order to make everything fit

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett brazes the insert into one of his seatstays

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

With the insert now brazed in, it's a case of making the perfect cut to ensure everything lines up

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Blackett removes the bulk of the material that he needs using a bench grinder

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Then the angle is perfected using hand tools

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

After a bit of trial and error Blackett has the fit spot on

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

He then repeats this process for the opposing seatstay, ready for brazing

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

The back end is now completely assembled

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Unfortunately, we run out of workshop time at this point, but Blackett has still managed to go from tubes to a 95 percent complete frame in four working days. On day five he finished the forks and most of the cleaning up, leaving some final emery cloth finishing prior to painting the frame himself

Oli Woodman/Future Publishing

Image 1 of 52

Frame building is something most of today’s cyclists take for granted. Just the thought of being able to manufacture your own usable frame isn’t feasible to the majority of people. Yet BikeRadar were recently invited to a frame building course at bespoke bike builders Swallow, and were left captivated by the experience and its relative accessibility.

Situated within the wonderful Ironbridge world heritage site in Shropshire, UK, is the workshop of Peter Bird and Robert Wade. With nearly 60 years of combined experience working with bicycles, both men have been offering bespoke steel frames since the early Eighties.

Swallow have never offered a production run of any frame. Instead, their customers are involved in a lengthy and totally individual experience that offers everything an off-the-peg purchase cannot.

We shadowed keen cyclist Blackett Ditchburn. He’d paid for a week-long frame building course with Peter and had set out to build an Italian-inspired, lugged steel racer. It’s a bike Blackett intends to ride from Rome to London, and then on to his home in Hambleden, Buckinghamshire.

Both Peter and Robert are keen to let their pupils be as hands-on as possible with the builds, and all students finish up with a frame designed exactly to their requirements. There are limitations, of course – builds are restricted to lugged steel frames, for example – but you’re still left with a whole world of choice.

All work is completed with the patient and immmensely experienced Peter, so every cut, bit of filing and braze is given the onceover. You can therefore leave the course knowing your frame has been built to very exacting standards and quality control.

It’s important to understand that when a bespoke frame is made, the builders literally start with a blank sheet of paper. It’s their time to listen and advise as they work out the customer’s exact requirements. In Blackett’s case, it was a Columbus tubed road bike using pleasant but not overly ornate lugs.

Take a look at our image gallery and follow Blackett's progress as he goes from a box of tubes and blueprint drawings to a beautiful, near-complete frame within the space of one day.